Less 6th months after announcing her final day on the radio airwaves, Dr. Laura Schlessinger is back in the booth. Ending her radio show amid concerns she could no longer express her 1st amendment rights (religion, speech, petition, assembly, press, for those counting at home) and “say what’s on her mind,” it seems Dr. Laura has found a suitable solution for the limitations of standard broadcast radio.
On January 3, 2011, she will join the Sirius XM programming lineup, it what is believed to be a multiyear deal. Satellite radio, free of the tight FCC regulations that restrict radio personalities in other mediums, will indeed give Dr. Laura more free forum for expression. Of course, this could be interpreted as anti-Stern positioning, with Dr. Laura on record as saying she would never work for the same company as the self-proclaimed “King of All Media.”
Then again, their on-air presence in the Sirius XM airspace may never overlap, as Stern’s contract expires on December 31, with no indications to this point that it will be renewed going forward.
While Stern has been the biggest name in radio controversy over the past 2 decades, Dr. Laura is no stranger to her own controversy throughout her time in the spotlight, providing a logical backdrop to the career move.
She has been criticized by Gay, Lesbian, and Transgendered audiences since she announced her controversial views on homosexuality, citing it as a biological error. More recently, just before announcing the end of her show, Dr. Laura came under fire for her use of the word “ngger” in an on-air broadcast.
Though she did not use it in a derogatory manner, merely uttering the epithet, a total of 11 times no less, drew harsh criticism in the African American community.
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